


We'll Be Okay

by bobohupcy



Category: EXO (Band), SHINee
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dating Scandal, Light Angst, M/M, they care about each other so much :(
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:01:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21566530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobohupcy/pseuds/bobohupcy
Summary: Taemin and Jongin have to make a tough choice.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Lee Taemin
Kudos: 57





	We'll Be Okay

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my second fic, this one is just a quick one shot I wrote because I saw SuperM and I just love how soft Taemin and Jongin are for each other :( their friendship is literally my drug I love them so much and they make me so freaking happy. This is based off that one time dispatch photographed them out on a cute lil walk together hehe sorry I made it kinda sad! I really wanted to reflect on how sometimes companies don't actually do what's best for their idols and act in their own self interest, and how Korean media is RUTHLESS and unforgiving. I love Kpop but the industry can be disgusting and I wanted to show that a little bit. Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment!

“You guys have to start being more careful, we can’t afford another scandal like this.” Taemin looked guiltily at their manager, taking in his words and thinking back to his and Jongin’s last outing together. He knew they hadn’t exactly been discreet. Jongin didn’t seem to realize though, looking at their boss perplexedly. 

“All we did was walk the Han River, I don’t really understand what the issue is.” Jongin said, still a little confused as to why they were called to this meeting with their boss. It was just himself, Taemin and Lee Soo-Man in the room, he had never been scolded by the director of their company directly before. 

“You guys were holding hands and sharing scarves, Dispatch caught it and released the photos this morning. The fans are going insane, talking about how the two of you were clearly on a date.” Soo-Man told them. Taemin looked at Jongin nervously, they hadn’t realized they were followed. 

“They already released the photos? They didn’t even try to sell their silence?” Jongin asked. Usually dispatch would try to get companies to pay them off to keep things quiet. SM Entertainment normally would have at least been notified prior to the release, but it seems like Dispatch sprung this one onto them completely out of nowhere. Of course they would, with EXO and SHINee being two of the biggest groups in the industry, and Taemin being one of the most successful solo artists on top of that. Dispatch would see this as nothing but a moneymaker, even though the reality was a scandal like this could ruin both boys’ careers were it not handled properly. 

“They must have figured they would make more money by just releasing them, and I have to say they probably are. The public is eating the articles up, both in good and bad ways.” Soo-Man replied. “They also released the photos of you guys at the waterpark, and some from one of your vacations.” Taemin blanched at that. Those photos would look pretty incriminating if one didn’t know what was truly going on. 

“So what are we going to do?” Taemin asked nervously, his eyes flitting between Jongin and their boss. Jongin was already staring at him. They made eye contact, and Taemin could see the defense and conviction lighting up Jongin’s irises. He clearly wasn’t happy, and he looked ready to fight back against the media if worse came to worst. Taemin knew Jongin had always been very protective, the stronger out of the two of them for sure. Taemin was far too gentle, delicate even. Not exactly the most desirable traits when it came to the entertainment industry. 

“Well since you two aren’t in the same group, we can go two different routes here. One, no public outings or contact at all whatsoever until long after the hype surrounding you goes down. Second, the two of you could ride the hype surrounding the rumors, maybe do a stage together, hang out and go on variety shows. It’s all or nothing here, you can’t keep doing things ambiguously. It’s raising too much suspicion.” Soo-Man explained, interrupting the two boys non verbal conversation. Taemin and Kai looked at each other once more. The choice wasn’t as easy as it seemed. They didn’t really want to have to ice each other out, but they knew if they spent all their time together they would have to neglect their own groups for as long as they were promoting together, and they didn’t want to have to do that to SHINee or EXO. 

“Can we talk about it for a minute?” Jongin asks Soo-Man. He nods and leaves the room. “Taemin, I don’t know what we should do. It would suck so much to not be able to hang out for so long but I don’t know if I can take time off from EXO right now. We’re in the middle of recording for a comeback and I have to rehearse for a solo stage as well.” 

“I know, I can’t really afford to take time off either. SHINee is promoting and you know I’m trying to finish my solo album. I can’t postpone it.” Taemin says, his eyes glistening. He had always been very easily emotional. 

“Don’t cry, please don’t,” Jongin said a little choked. “You know if I see people cry it makes me sad too.” This was a choice they didn’t want to even think about, they knew SM could and would keep them apart for several months, maybe even a year or more just to save face. 

Taemin tried to smile at him but it was difficult. They both knew which choice they had to make, and neither of them wanted it to come to that. Sometimes a bond between two people wasn’t enough to keep them together, and in the industry which Taemin and Jongin were both employed it was even harder. Korea was an unforgiving country, and each of the two men had been on the receiving side of the hatred one too many times apiece. The love they received seemed to amount to nothing in the face of the smallest slip-ups becoming the biggest scandals. 

“Hopefully it’ll only be for a few months, these rumors will die down quickly if we don’t feed into them. When has anything like this bothered us before?” Kai said jokingly, putting his arm on Taemin’s shoulders. “We know who we are, a little distance for a while has nothing on us. And we can still hang out in the company as long as we keep it private and no cameras.” Taemin nods at this with a small smile. Getting a moment with no cameras around was extremely rare in this industry, and keeping it secret from Soo-Man would add to the challenge even more, but he knew he and Jongin would find moments to see each other here and there. The weight of Jongin’s arm on his shoulders protected him from the pressure of the industry, the scrutinization of the public, and the demands of their boss. Jongin was his safe place. 

“We’ll be okay.”


End file.
